Introduction to Mise-En-Scene

Mise-en-scene

What Is It?

Mise-en-scene is everything that is used in a scene. It is made up of 5 elements:

• Settings & Props
• Lighting & Colour
• Facial Expressions & Body Language (Character Performance)
• Costume & Make-Up
• Positioning

Settings & Props

Settings is the location that the scene is shot in, props are the little objects and equipments that are seen in a scene. These two work together as where ever a scene is set then there has to be props. Props are important to the settings as it fit in well with whatever the setting is, and is important that it does fit with the setting (example: if the setting is a high school then have lockers and classroom equipments is what is expected to be seen in a typical high school).

Lighting & Colour

Lighting & colour is a key aspect of a scene, these two can be used to exaggerate the genre of a production. The two can also create connotations as the colour might represent or have a further meaning to it.

 Facial Expressions & Body Language

The character performance is how the character is played by an actor. The character performance is important as it gives off the representation that the character may want to give off to the audience. The way the character preforms could help the audience to determine the kind of person this character is. The way the character is played also can link to the genre of the film.



 Costume & Make-Up

 Costume & Make-Up is also an important element in media text as it could help to show off the genre of the film, it could explain the theme or the time that the film is set in. These two can also help the representation of the character to the audience too, so it is very important how character use these elements if they want to give off the right impressions.

 Positioning

Positioning takes the attention of the audience and direct it to something important in a scene. It could indicate relationship between character or objects to the audience, depending on the genre of the film could determine what is put in the frame or what is wanted to be seen the most in a the scene.

Mise-en-Scene Analysis: The Big Bang Theory

 Setting & Props: From this screenshot, we can see that it is set in some kind room inside a house, we can tell this by the fact that there are home essential objects inside the room, objects like a sink, fridge, washing up liquid, etc. The audience can see that this is just an ordinary room, and that it is just a couple of friends inside this room together. There looks to be alcoholic beverages on the table which indicates that the character may drink alcohol which expresses their maturity and age. 

Lighting & Colours: The lighting in this scene is bright which could connote that the mood of this scene is quite happy. It also indicates that this show does not have a sad or depressing story line. The colours are multi-coloured and colourful and really stands out, this really links with the bright lighting and makes the mood seem more positive to the audience. This could make the audience see that the genre of the show is nothing serious (i.e.: Horror or thriller) but more likely to be a 'Comedy'.

 Character Performance: The characters of the scene are all in different positions around the scene, their facial expressions seem to be happy and amused about something. Their body language seems to be relaxed and chilled which connotes that they all get on with each other and when they are around each other then they feel at ease and comfortable. The woman is seen to be pouring some sort of drink into a cup, the fact that there are different sort of liquor upon the table could suggest that she has more experience than the males do at creating cocktails and creates enigmas of what kind of character is she represented to be toward the audience?

Costumes & Make-Up: The clothing that the characters are wearing look really typical to modern young adults clothing, they all have different style of clothing which connotes that they all have different interests and different personality. The woman seems to be wearing a dress which could mean that she may like to wear these sort of clothing or it is a typical clothing for her age group, it also shows off her feminine side.

Positioning: In the frame,all the characters are seen at once sitting or standing around a table full of drinks. The fact that they are all seen in the frame together suggest that they may all have a relationship with one another. One character seems to be leaving the frame which could mean that he does not share an equal interest as the others or may be an outsider to the others, this could rise questions upon the relationship that this character has with the other and the sort of character he is represented to be. The males are closer together which could imply that their relationship is a bit better than the relationship they have with the woman. Our attentions are drawn upon what is happening around the table area, which indicates that the drinks on the table might have some sort of use to the characters.